Piracy of paid television in the Arab region causes losses of $500 Million a year, according to a media research firm. 8 percent of Arab households that watch television actually pay for the services through cable or satellite. The remaining 92 percent of views in the region pirate the broadcast.

In Lebanon, an estimated 99 percent of television viewers are pirating their cable signal. In Egypt, around 10 million households are receiving pirated cable feeds.

In 2009, 40 million “gray market” satellite dishes were shipped in China. These satellite dishes are banned in cities and are meant solely for use in rural areas. However, many urban customers purchase these dishes on the black market in order to avoid paying cable fees.

In addition, in 2008 more than 10 million satellite dishes that can receive foreign broadcasts that are banned in China was shipped to the country.